[Feby 27 – 1797 – To the Secy. of State] War office 27 Feby 1797. P. Sir In answer to the inquiry which you were pleased to make on Saturday last, I have the honour to inform you that I transmitted, immediately after receiving them, to the late Major Gen^l Wayne the representation presented to you by the Chevalier Yrujo minister [undecipherable] and an affidavit by a [undecipherable] Powers, relative to an insult supposed to have been offered to the said Powers, by [undecipherable] Steel, under colour of authority derived from the commander in chief of the army of the U.S. This dispatch I have learned arrived at Presqu' Isle a few days before the General's death, and too late to permit of his being made acquainted with its contents. Since coming to the knowledge of that fact [strikethrough: (some text)] ([undecipherable] now [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] touching the [strikethrough: set] of Powers) I have waited with a degree of anxiety proportioned to the sincere desire which I have to satisfy the minister of his [strikethrough: most] Catholic majesty, to discover, whether there [strikethrough: might not] existed among the papers of the deceased evidences to shew, that as commander in chief he had not exceeded a sound discretion. There is reason now to believe that Powers has been concerned for some time past with others, in practices highly injurious to the U.S. such as in all countries would render him a proper object of punishment; and have just cause of suspicion, the late commander in chief, appears to have directed the search of his boat and scrutiny of his papers. It need scarcely be observed to you that a subject of a foreign State is liable within our territorial limits to be arrest and searched in like manner, as if he were a citizen of the U.S; and, that in certain circumstances, it is lawful for the commander of an army, in a summary way, to cause a suspected person to be seized and his papers examined With great respect I have the honour to be &c Secy of State